Test Your Implicit Reactions to Race

I learned about this website through Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink.  Harvard University has developed a website to test how you subconsciously associated opposing ideas.  Project Implicit features many versions to gauge your reactions to race, age, gender, sexuality, weapons, Presidents, and many many more.  If you go to the website, you have to click through a few choices and then you get to the different tests.  Try the Race IAT to see how you respond to race.


This IAT compares how quickly you can link ideas White and Black vs. Good and Bad as pictures pop-up on the screen.  If you are slower linking black with good and white with bad compared to the reverse, then you will show a preference for white.  If both are the same, then you will show no preference.  Finally, you can also show a preference towards black.  


Let's be clear, this does not tell you that you are racist, but that through culture and other stimuli you have automatically linked certain terms/ideas together. These scores can alter slightly.  When seeing news stories about gang violence and other negative stereotypes about blacks, people will show more preferences towards whites.  Reverse it and watch positive stories about black history, then that negative association disappears.


Also, we have the ability to get past our subconscious biases by recognizing that they may exist.  If we forever deny that such implicit reactions can occur, then our behaviors and decisions will continue to be based on those ideas.  This also shows the power of education and the importance of diversity.  Positive interactions with people different from you can relieve our fears of "others".


I like to have my students take this test when I cover the skin to see what they know about race and how we respond to it.  They seem to enjoy them.  They like to take the other tests as well.  Perhaps you would like to see how you react to other situations.  How do you respond to other religions?  How do you link gender and career?  You may confirm what you already expected or discover something about yourself.